It would be editable as bezier curves (or line segments depending on how matlab exports it).

You could draw it in Draw too, using the bezier tool, but it wouldn't be mathematically accurate. I'm not sure exactly what you're looking for though since a helix is a 3d shape (do you want it viewed straight on, or from an angle, should it have perspective, etc.). Alternatively, you could write a vb script to generate it.

I recently purchased X5 because I need to do better technical illustrations for training materials. My first project is an electrical coil (without a core) so I tried to follow your instructions. There is apparently some brand of magic required which I don't have. I got this far on my ninth try. (I hope there is an attachment here.) Some of your steps did not make any sense to me or X5 - the help function could not find anything that fitted with some of your instructions. It won't fill. 1104.Coil.ai

You seem to have tiny gaps and overlapping curves all over, which is preventing the smart fill from operating correctly. I guess when I made mine, I held control to move the node straight up, and used snapping to ensure that everything fit together. I do this without thinking about it, so I may have left it out of my instructions.

I've attached a cdr with a helix, and hopefully clearer steps. you can use it, or try to recreate your own. I have to admit, this is one of the tougher shapes to build.

You don't need anyone to send it, the sample file Hendrik mentioned is still available in his post from Apr. 2010. Just click the link 'helix.cdr' (under his name at the top of the message) and save it.

I'm not exactly certain why that part doesn't fill like the rest of it does.

My first thought was that, while all the lines appear connected by sight they are not actually connected by their nodes into closed shapes. But that is also true of portions that seemed to fill as expected, so I'm not really certain.